


Shelter For Heartaches That Don't Have A Home

by secretsidgenowriter



Series: Tumblr Prompts [11]
Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Prostitution, M/M, Non Hockey Universe, prostitute/client au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-02
Updated: 2018-02-02
Packaged: 2019-03-12 13:02:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,094
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13547868
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/secretsidgenowriter/pseuds/secretsidgenowriter
Summary: “Can I see you again?”“You ask that every time,” Geno says as he stands up and zips and buttons his jeans. “Baby-.”“Sid.” He’s sitting up now with one leg bent at the knee. “You can call me Sid. How many times do I have to ask you?”“Sweetheart.” His voice is as thick and sweet as honey. He watches Sid’s jaw clench when he holds up the cash. “You know I’m a sure thing.”





	Shelter For Heartaches That Don't Have A Home

“This is too much.”

Geno clutches the wad of bills in his hand and looks over his shoulder at Sid.

Sid is still completely flat on the bed with one hand over his chest and the other behind his head. He doesn’t open his eyes when he speaks.

“Is it?”

Geno shakes his head. Playing dumb does not become him.

He counts out two hundred and fifty dollars, what he’s actually owed- what they agreed on- and gives the rest back.

When he turns around Sid has both eyes open and takes the money back without giving him another excuse.

“Can I see you again?”

“You ask that every time,” Geno says as he stands up and zips and buttons his jeans. “ _Baby_ -.”

“Sid.” He’s sitting up now with one leg bent at the knee. “You can call me Sid. How many times do I have to ask you?”

 _“Sweetheart.”_ His voice is as thick and sweet as honey. He watches Sid’s jaw clench when he holds up the cash. “You know I’m a sure thing.”

-

Geno’s slept with all kinds of men.

Some need to be in control, some need to give it up. Some will say filthy things to him and others stay silent, even when they come.

The only thing any of them have in common is that they pay him.

With Sid it’s all soft moans and quiet whispers and when they’re done Sid always asks him if he liked it.

It would make Geno rolls his eyes, with other men it does, but Sid is looking at him with kind, earnest eyes and Geno has to lean back over the bed to kiss him.

“Of course, _malysh_ , always great with you.”

Sid pushes himself up on an elbow as Geno leans back to grabs his clothes. “I bet you say that with all the guys.”

“Only mean it with you, honey.”

He winks and grabs the money off the table, not bothering to count it before he jams it in his pocket.

He knows Sid’s good for it.

-

He doesn’t understand why Sid comes to him, why he has to pay for it.

He was awkward as hell that first time. He blushed furiously as Geno pulled out his supplies and laid down the ground rules.

Condoms at all times, non negotiable, lots of lube and they could stop at anytime for any reason and the other had to listen.

When Geno asked him if he preferred to bottom or top and Sid started to sweat and apologized profusely for being so nervous.

He put his hands on Sid’s shoulders. The fabric of his suit felt expensive under his palms as Sid confessed that he had never done this before.

“Pay for it I mean.”

“Most guys nervous the first time. Is normal. Don’t have to apologize.”

That didn’t look like it made him feel any better so Geno slid his hands down his arms and linked their fingers together.

“We go slow. Tell you what I charge for what, you tell me what you’re comfortable with, what you can afford.”

“I can afford it,” he said quickly then seemed embarrassed as he cleared his throat. “Money isn’t a problem.”

Geno was rubbing his thumb against the lines in his palm the first time Sid kissed him.

After the nerves burned away he sunk right into it.

He knows he probably should play favorites but Sid’s right at the top of his list.

He’s handsome and smart and incredibly rich.

Geno broke one of his own rules and googled him but that’s only because Sid was dumb enough to tell him his full name, even after Geno warned him.

Sid runs a financial company in one of those big building downtown.

He does charity work on the weekends and attends lavish events with fancy food and important people.

He’s funny when he wants to be, with a dry wit that’s followed by a ridiculous laugh and Geno can attest to the fact that he’s amazing in bed.

He could have anyone he wanted for free.

Instead Sid pays hundreds of dollars to be taken apart in a rented out hotel room every week.

He doesn’t understand it but it’s easy money. There are worse ways to spend his time.

-

“I wanted to be a firefighter when I was little.”

Geno hums and presses the heel of his hands right below Sid's shoulder blades, letting the massage oil he brought with him guide the way.

He’s glad he brought it with him. He knows Friday’s are the most stressful days for Sid at work and not even a good orgasm will ease the line of tension in his shoulders.

Geno tried that first though.

Sid actually had the nerve to walk into the hotel room with a briefcase full of work in his hand.

Geno slapped it away and dropped to his knees.

He blew him against the front door with Sid still in his five thousand dollar suit then pushed Sid’s hands away when he tried to reciprocate.

Instead Geno stripped him of his jacket and shirt settled him face down on the bed and straddled his hips.

“Think you’d look real good in uniform,” Geno says. “Boots, suspenders, helmet.”

“Oh yeah,” Sid laughs lazily. “What about you?”

“Think I’d look good in helmet too.”

Sid reaches around and squeezes his knee. “I meant what did you want to do when you were a kid?”

Geno presses a little harder and delights in the way Sid’s breath catches. “Don’t know. Didn’t really think about it.”

“You never had a dream?”

“When I was little we were very poor. No point in dreaming. Would only lead to disappointment.”

“That’s sad.”

Geno shrugs and forgets that Sid can’t see it.

“The way it was.”

“Well what about now?”

“Too old for dreams.”

Sid flips beneath him and Geno settles across his lap. He runs his hands up Geno’s thighs and digs his hands into the cut of his hips.

“You’re never too old for dreams.”

“You are an idealist,” he says as he leans over him and presses their lips together.

Sid cups the back of his neck.

“You pay for one more hour,” he says after he sneaks a quick look at the clock on the nightstand. “Want to make most of it?”

Sid strokes a hand down the side of his face. “I’ll pay for the rest of the night.”

Geno shakes his head. “Have somewhere to be after this. Another regular, can’t cancel.”

Sid traces his bottom lip with his thumb and his eyes darken when Geno parts his lip and sucks Sid’s thumb in, tongue flicking against the pad.

“Fuck,” Sid says, his voice a rough whisper and Geno is constantly surprised by his strength when he switches their position in one swift movement.

-

This is not the life he imagined for himself but it’s not a bad one.

Between his job waiting tables during the day and taking care of clients at night he has enough to afford an apartment all to himself.

He never has to skip a meal or runs low on gas for his car.

Granted, the apartment is a one bedroom shithole and sometimes the meals are microwaved ramen and he barely uses his car because it keeps breaking down but all of those things are his own.

He pays his bills and his student loans and when he finally gets home at the end of the night with his feet aching from the restaurant and his body pleasantly humming post orgasm he feels content with his life.

It’s really more than he could ask for.

-

“I’m thinking about getting a tattoo.”

Geno raises his eyebrows as Sid traces the black lines over his ribs.

He looks down at him, at the expanse of pale skin and grabs a handful of Sid’s ass.

“Have plenty of room for it.”

Sid laughs and stretches. He dropped a grand to book Geno solid for the whole night and he doesn’t seem to be in any hurry to go for round three.

“I wouldn’t get it there.”

“Then where?”

“I don’t know.”

“What of?”

“I don’t know that either.”

“You really think hard about this, huh?”

“It’s just a thought. Where’d you get yours done?”

“Moscow.”

Sid whistles. “That’s a long way for me to go.”

“Best shop. Best people. Tell them Zhenya sent you, get you a good deal.”

Sid rests his hand against Geno’s side. “Zhenya. Is that your real name?”

Geno presses his lips together. He really shouldn’t say but Sid’s hand is so warm and his voice is so soft.

“Real name Evgeni. Zhenya is for close friends and family. People I love.”

“And Geno?”

“For everyone else.”

-

Sid is sideways on the bed. His head is hanging off of it and Geno reaches out to brush the curls off his forehead in the middle of putting on his shoes.

“You okay?”

“You’re amazing,” Sid slurs. “I have to be up in….” He holds his watch in front of his face and opens one eye. “Five hours and go to work. How?”

They don’t usually meet mid-week but Sid had called and Geno had answered.

“Gonna recover in time for Friday? Still want to meet at usual time?”

“Yes. No. Shit, fuck, I forgot. I have some stupid work thing. A charity event.”

Geno snorts.

Sid rolls over and leans up on his elbows. “The charity isn’t stupid, the event is. Stuffy black tie thing. I’m supposed to bring a date but don’t think that’ll happen.”

“Can’t be hard for you to find a date.”

“You’d be surprised,” he murmurs then glances up. “Unless you wanted to go with me.”

“Not an escort.”

“I know, I just…I feel bad. You’ll be losing money.”

He shrugs. “I’ll find someone else.”

Sid frowns. “Do you ever think about dating?”

It’s not a very clear question but Geno doesn’t ask him to clarify.

“Would be kind of hard to find boyfriend that’s okay with me being a whore.”

Sid scowls. “Don’t call yourself that.”

“I’m not ashamed of it.”

“Do you ever think you’d stop if you found someone. You know, the right person?”

“No such thing,” he says quickly. He kisses his fingertips and presses them to Sid’s forehead. “Get some sleep. See you sometime, okay?”

-

The heat goes out in his apartment right when the temperatures dip into the single digits.

He buys a space heater and blows a fuse.

“You’re cold,” is the first thing Sid says when Geno gets his hands on him.

Geno pulls Sid’s button down off his shoulders and down his arms. “Heats out in apartment. Can’t get warm all day.”

“When is it going to be fixed?”

“Don’t know.” He wraps his hand around the back of Sid’s neck and pulls him in for a kiss as other hand unbuttons his pants. Sid’s supposed to fuck him tonight and he wants to get to it. If he’s been honest he’s been looking forward to it all week.

Sid pulls his face away. “How can you not know? It’s freezing out. Don’t you have a landlord?”

“Never see him. No one pays enough rent for him to care.”

“But that’s not…that’s-. Why do you live there?”

Geno laughs. “Because it’s my home.”

“I know how much I pay you. Shouldn’t you be able to afford something better.”

“Have lots of bills, _solnyshko_. Most of my money goes to paying off student loans.”

“But-.”

Geno kisses him again, cold hands bracketing the sides of his face. “Warm here. Let’s not waste your money.”

Sid’s frowning as he reaches for a condom and a packet of lube off the table.

After, Geno has his face pressed into the pillow, trying to catch his breath when Sid says “you should come home with me.”

He squeezes his eyes shut as Sid pulls out and tries to figure out what he’s talking about. Usually Sid’s the one that’s completely useless after he comes and the full sentence and serious tone is confusing him further.

Geno eases down from all fours and turns his head to watch Sid roll off the condom and tie it off.

“Did you hear me?”

“What did you say?”

Sid shakes his head but repeats himself. “You should come home with me instead of going back to your apartment.”

Geno blinks at him.

“It’s freezing and you don’t have heat.”

“Not going to your apartment with you, Sid.”

“Then stay here. I’ll rent the room out for you for the rest of the week. Or however long it takes until someone gets it fixed for you.”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Because, I don’t need you to help me.”

“I think that’s exactly what you need. Could you at least tell me where you live?”

Geno’s brain quickly unfogs.

“No. Why?”

“I know people.” He grabs his phone. “People in the mayor’s office, and within the police department. Important people.”

Geno knows important people to. Probably better than Sid does. “Congratulations, very important.”

“Your landlord has to be breaking some kind of law by not providing heat for you. Especially when it’s so cold out. If you’re not going to let me help you then think of the other people in your building. Let me do it for them.”

Geno swings his legs off the bed and pushes himself to his feet. “Not going to guilt me into this.”

“Then let me help you.”

Geno gapes at him. “What do you think we are?”

Sid stares back. It looks like some of the wind has been knocked out of his sails but Geno keeps pushing.

This needs to be said.

“You and I….we’re just business. You pay me for sex, nothing else. We’re not even friends.”

Sid looks down at his hands. He lets his phone fall to his lap. “You know me better than anyone else,” he says quietly.

Geno twists the knife. “You pay me. It’s just my job. You know how many men I sleep with in a week? Mean nothing to me. You don’t mean anything to me.”

The lie cuts right through him and he takes a deep, steadying breath.

This is his fault. He should have ended this with Sid the moment he started looking forward to seeing him. The very second he started to see him as more than just a client.

When his heart started beating faster at just the thought of kissing him or seeing his smile or tracing the faint scar on his chin with the tip of his finger.

“Don’t think we should do this anymore,” Geno says. He’s shocked that his voice doesn’t break.

Sid doesn’t say a thing. Geno doesn’t watch him as he gets dressed but when he’s done he lifts his head in time to see him drop more money onto the table.

His shoulders are slumped as he walks out the door.

Geno drops his head into his hands and gives himself five minutes to regroup before he gets up and showers.

He has two more clients scheduled for tonight.

-

It’s a slow afternoon at the restaurant and Geno is complaining to the hostess, Megan, about the red wine stain he has on his sleeve.

“I was so careful,” he complains and she rolls his eyes.

“It’ll come out in the wash. You just have to pre-treat it.”

“Shitty washers at apartment.”

She looks up at the group of people that have just come through the door and speaks out the side of her mouth. “Take this table, bunch of guys in suits. They’ll either tip absolutely nothing or fifty percent. Take your chances.”

Geno stands up and straightens his slim black tie over the buttons of his shirt. If he rolls the sleeves in just the right way the stain isn’t visible.

“Table for seven,” the man says. He’s the oldest and the baldest but Geno can see younger men in the group.

A few of them are looking back at him and just as Geno’s trying to figure out if it’s with interest or not he finds Sid’s face in the crowd.

It’s been a month since they’ve seen each other and Geno kind of hates that he looks so good.

His hair is a little longer and there’s stubble lining his jaw and Geno knows what that feels like rubbing against the back of his neck and the inside of his thighs.

Megan’s smiling and gathering up menus and Geno turns his back to the group. “Find someone else to take them, yeah?”

Megan never loses her smile. “There is no one else,” she says then looks up. “If you gentlemen will follow me I’ll get you seated and Geno here will be along to take your drink orders.”

The men follow behind her, all except Sid who stands in front of the hostess table.

“Not okay,” Geno says.

“I didn’t know you worked here.”

Geno is unconvinced and unimpressed as he grabs a new order pad and pen from off the stand. “Sure.”

“You never told me anything about yourself,” Sid hisses. How was I supposed to know? I didn’t even pick this place.”

“Should go join your group. They’ll be wondering where you are.”

Sid looks like he wants to say more but instead he rubs his a hand across his face and follows after them.

Geno is professional during lunch. That’s what he’s best at, keeping his personal feelings far away from his work life.

He’s mildly horrified when Sid reaches for the bill at the end of the meal. Whatever ridiculous tip Sid gives him will have to be given to the busboys. He can’t take it.

Sid’s group stand, folding their napkins over their plates as they push their chairs back. Sid grabs the billfold and finishes off the water that was left in his glass as he says something to the older man sitting beside him.

He tips his head in Geno’s direction and as the rest of the group heads towards the door Sid heads towards him.

“I wanted to make sure you got this. I never like leaving it.”

Geno flips it open. He left a twenty five percent tip. Not outlandish but more than the service was worth.

“It’s company policy to tip that much. Most of the people I work with waited tables, myself included in college. We know how hard it is.”

Geno nods.

“I also wanted to ask if I could see you again.”

“Not a good idea.”

“Just one more time. Please. After that I’ll leave you alone. I won’t try to get in contact with you again, I won’t come here. You’ll be done with me.”

Geno chews on his bottom lip and Sid angles his body away from him.

“Just think about it. Let me know.”

Geno does miss the money. He misses _him._

“Okay,” Geno says. “One more time.”

-

There’s electricity buzzing beneath his skin as he takes the elevator up to the sixth floor of the hotel.

Sid’s always been careful when he picked the places to meet.

Just outside the city, never the same one twice in the same month.

He tries to be careful but Sid is a big name. Geno’s sure the receptionists think something must be up.

None of that matters now though. This will be the last time.

He should probably make the most of it.

As soon as Sid opens the door Geno has his hands in his hair, fingers grasping at the curls as he hauls him in for a kiss.

Sid only kisses him back for a moment before he turning out of his grasp.

“I have to talk to you.”

Geno tries to settle his heart as Sid unlatches his briefcase.

There’s already money on the table. Geno’s not sure what he’s looking for.

When he turns back around he’s holding a packet of paper and holds it out to him.

“It’s an application,” Sid says. “There’s an opening within my company and I think you’d be good for it. You’ve got the education, you’re very smart and you’ve got the life experience.”

“That’s what we call it?”

Sid ignores him. “You’re bilingual. That always helps.”

“You’re not going to be my boss.”

“I wouldn’t be. This isn’t even my division. You’d have nothing to do with me. Don’t put my name down as a reference, I won’t have say on if you’re hired or not. We probably won’t even cross paths in the hall. This is an entry level position and the pay isn’t great but you’ll have plenty of room to move up within the company and it’s full time with benefits. We have programs to help out with school. You could have help with your loans. You wouldn’t have to-.”

“Fuck other people,” Geno spits.

“You wouldn’t have to wait tables,” Sid says carefully. “What you do on your off time is up to you. It has nothing to do with me anymore. I just think this is a good opportunity for you. I had to tell you about it.”

“I’m not one of your charity projects. I don’t need you to save me.”

“I’m not trying to.”

“You are. Why do you think I could consider this? Why do you think you’re special?”

Sid shakes his head and puts the application down next to the money.

“I don’t think I’m special. I think you are.”

Sid leaves without another word.

Geno picks up the pen with the hotels name printed on the side and fills out the application.

-

He keeps waiting to screw up.

He goes to work in Sid’s building everyday and gets coffee for people who make more money than him in ten minutes than he makes in a week.

He files reports and sorts the mail and at the end of the day he’s too tired to go to a hotel room and let someone he doesn’t even care about touch him.

Sleep is more important than the money.

He wonders if Sid knew that would happen.

He’s doing well for himself, though. The money is good, not great, but after a few months he’s asked to sit in on a meeting and after that his manager asks him what he thinks on one of the projects the company is working on.

“We’re always open to new ideas,” she says as she taps her fingers against her phone. “Don’t be afraid to speak up.”

Thankfully, he’s not, and he sees his paycheck slowly increase.

The day after he moves out of his apartment into a slightly better one he sees Sid across the lobby while he’s walking into work.

Sid still has his collar up from the cold outside and he has a Starbucks cup in his hand.

He must be able to feel Geno’s eyes on him because he turns his head and they lock eyes.

Sid raises his free hand to wave.

It’s been months and Geno misses him so much he aches with it.

He waves back.

-

Geno gets himself invited to the first charity event of the new year.

His tux is rented and he has two glasses of champagne to try to calm his nerves.

It doesn’t work because when his manager grabs him by the elbow and drags him away from the wall he was holding up he kind of feels like throwing up.

“I have someone I want you to meet. Mr. Crosby,” she says and Sid turns around and says, “call me Sid, please.”

Geno longs for a third glass of champagne, or maybe whatever dark liquor is in the tumbler Sid is holding.

“Sid, I want you to meet Geno. He’s a new hire but he’s got some great ideas about outreach programs overseas.”

Sid holds out his hand and Geno takes it.

“Mr. Crosby,” he says politely and Sid smiles.

“Please, it’s Sid. Call me Sid.”

“I expect big things from Geno,” she says proudly. “He’s doing excellent work.” She looks over Sid’s shoulder and waves. “If you’ll excuse me I have to go catch up with someone before they try to sneak out.”

She leaves them there, their hands still entwined. Sid’s palm is warm against his own.

“It’s Geno,” Sid asks, keeping up appearances and Geno shakes his head.

“You can call me Zhenya if you’d like.”

Sid squeezes his hand. It’s clear he doesn’t want to let go. Geno doesn’t want him to.

“Zhenya,” he repeats. “It’s nice to meet you.”

**Author's Note:**

> My tumblr is [ here](https://secret-sidgeno-writer.tumblr.com/)


End file.
